


Dirty Paws

by Xenolis



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, i tried to write romance but it just didn't happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 04:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19165768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenolis/pseuds/Xenolis
Summary: There had been reports of genetic modifications gone wrong in some forests within Idaho. People started to search for the unknown creatures and ended up never returning. The mysterious vanishings were all over the news, made all the more unsettling as no-one knew what was causing such a threat.Perhaps it's time for the Avengers to get involved...





	Dirty Paws

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this back in May '18 so uh. It's not... Not great. Also the first MCU thing I wrote so it's probably ooc but idk or care haha. And this is totally just a reader-insert so I didn't have to make up a new character
> 
> I was gonna write more of this but I totally lost interest so I just wanna get it posted so I can forget about it, lmao.

“A twenty-five-year-old man has gone missing after entering the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho yesterday morning. Police have warned the public to avoid the area after numerous rumours of covert scientific experiments taking place somewhere underground. Little is known about what is causing the disappearances, and people are wondering why nothing is being done to fix the dangerous problem.”

Bucky continued to stare at the projected screen even after it went black. His metal hand was clenched under the briefing table, tension and unease emanating from his body at the news. He didn't like the sound of 'covert scientific experiments:' he knew all too well what they were like.

“We've been asked to investigate that, in case whatever is there is a threat,” Steve informed the gathered Avengers, his gaze drifting over each person before settling on his nervous friend.

Tony raised his eyebrows, staring around him in disbelief for a moment before leaning forwards with his elbows on the table. “ _'In case'_ it's a threat? Haven't you heard how many people have disappeared over the past few weeks? It's over a hundred, Cap! I don't think there's an _'in case'_ needed here.”

“Yeah, I'm with Tony,” Bruce added, “it sounds dangerous. Is it even safe to check it out without knowing what we're up against? What's to say we won't go missing, too?”

“Stark can send some drones out to scan the area. We narrow down the search and find the source before we move in. Depending on what we find, we either fight or extract.” Steve swiped away the blank screen, placing his palms flat on the desk. “Any questions?”

Sam raised his hand, tilting his head to the side with an incredulous expression.“Yeah – can I _not_ go to the place with the unknown monster that probably kills people?”

“We need you and Stark for air support. Banner can stay on the Quinjet unless there's an emergency that requires the Hulk. Bucky and I will investigate the problem and call for back-up if needed.” The blond man paused, noticing as Bucky clenched his jaw. “If you're comfortable with that, Buck?”

“I'll be fine.” He nodded stiffly, keeping his eyes firmly stuck to the table. “If there's anyone captive, we need to help them.”

*

“There's nothing here, Stark,” Steve said irritably, one hand raised to his earpiece as he squinted around the forest. “Are you sure your tech is correct?”

Bucky kept quiet. The leaves rustled and branches twisted in the breeze. Despite it being a bright day, most of the sunlight was blocked out by the canopy, leaving dappled puddles of gold on the dirty ground. He tensed suddenly, some sort of intuition causing him to turn sharply and stare behind him into the shadows. Steve abruptly fell silent as he watched his best friend switch into stealth mode, following the brunet's lead and looking in the same direction.

There was a snarl and something leapt from the darkness, springing up towards Bucky's throat only to slam into his metal arm. He stepped back, whipping around just in time to stop another creature from tearing out his jugular and sending it flying into a tree trunk. Steve and Bucky automatically went back-to-back as more of the animals stalked into the small clearing, moving as a pack and rumbling with growls like thunder.

The attackers vaguely resembled wolves, but much larger and more muscular, with shaggy pelts the colour of soot, and sharp, jagged teeth like blades. Another two jumped up, jaws gnashing wildly at the air next to Bucky's cheek and furiously flinging drool. One let out a strangled yelp before he snapped its neck and threw the body away, not missing a beat as he kicked out at the other modified wolf, slamming a black boot down on the spine to immobilise it.

At least thirty more were surrounding them like a flood, coming in as waves and barely hesitating even after being slashed and stabbed with knives. They seemed entirely rabid and crazed, knowing nothing but the desire to rip apart the two super-soldiers. A loud clang sounded next to Bucky's ear as Steve raised his shield just in time to block a wolf that had gone unnoticed, and in return the brunet twisted around, shooting a few beasts with deadly precision that had been heading for his friend.

“You doing alright, Cap?” Sam inquired through the earpiece, a note of worry laced in his tone that could barely be heard over the spitting, snarling creatures.

“Wolves,” Steve huffed out quickly, struggling under the weight of a wolf that was scrabbling on his shield. “Lots of them. Dangerous.”

“ _Wolves?_ ” Stark echoed in disbelief. “I'm sorry, you're struggling to fight _dogs?_ You, the _great_ Captain America, are having difficulty with a _wolf pack_. Oh, this is priceless.”

“I don't know what's been done to them. They're-” He grunted as he shoved his shield outwards, throwing off one wolf and knocking over another. “-incredibly strong. They don't stop until they're dead.”

“We need backup.” Bucky dealt a few more killing blows, but it barely seemed to make a difference as more swarmed in from the trees.

Sam chuckled with delight. “You need my help, Barnes? I'm never gonna let you live this down.”

He swooped down through the trees, bringing down a whirlwind of leaves as he deftly manoeuvred between trunks, tilting and turning to avoid wolves before rising up and bringing out a pair of submachine guns to pepper the pack with bullets. The beasts growled and squirmed, some turning their attention to the man with wings, totally oblivious to the blood oozing from their bodies. Bucky watched with a smirk of satisfaction as the cocky grin faded from the pilot's face, being replaced with the realisation that the super-soldiers weren't exaggerating.

Steve was knocked to the ground, piled on by multiple wolves and unable to push them off even as he struggled. The best he could do was keep them from mauling his face, keeping his shielded arm raised in defence. Bucky could spare no focus to help, being overrun himself and sent slumping into the dust as a particularly massive bulk of fur pinned him down. The creature's large paws pressed heavily against his chest, crushing down against his ribs like an anvil and stealing his breath away.

“Stark, now would be a great time to help!” Bucky snapped, letting out a choked grunt as he snapped his head to one side, harshly pressing his cheek into the dirt just to avoid inhaling another lungful of mangy fur.

Fashionably late as ever, a flash of red blinked past, followed by a blast of searing heat that tossed the wolves away from the super-soldiers. The pair stumbled back to their feet, briefly checking on the other to ensure no life-threatening injuries before getting right back into the fight. Sam had lifted back up into the air, out of reach of the abominations to nurse a nasty claw-mark tearing across his abdomen. Bucky eyed him with subtle concern and took it upon himself to take out the beasts that were attempting to leap up and snap at the pilot's feet. He grabbed fistfuls of fur and snapped bones, sending bullets deep into flesh to send hot blood spilling across the ground until the clearing was silent and all was still once again.

“Couldn't you have jumped in sooner?” Bucky grumbled as Iron Man hovered down in front of him.

The faceplate folded up, revealing the smugly grinning face of Tony Stark. “Oh, no, it was much more fun to watch.” His smile suddenly faded and his expression was concealed once more within the armour. “There's a heat signature over there.”

“Don't tell me there are more wolves?!” Sam exclaimed in disbelief, lightly touching down to peer where Tony was pointing.

“Unless this one's shaped like a human, I don't think so.”

Bucky immediately stood up straighter before cautiously approaching the area. He reached out to shove aside a low branch, taking light footsteps towards a small boulder that was covered in green moss and pale lichen. Above his own, tense breaths, he picked up on a tiny shuffle of movement.

There was a figure crouched in the undergrowth, palms against the ground and whole body tensed and coiled to spring forward like a snake. He froze in place, slowly raising his hands in a placating gesture, hoping to put this unknown person at ease.

A low, animalistic growl rumbled in your chest and you shifted your weight, sliding one foot further back and lowering your head to glare maliciously up at the stranger, eyes glinting against the shadows. You didn't trust him at all, especially since you could smell the blood of your pack-mates that was splattered all over him: you knew everyone else was dead, and you weren't going to go down without a fight.

Before Bucky had a chance to react, you jumped forwards on all fours and snapped your jaws around his leg before rising up and batting a closed hand at his head. He dodged quickly, stepping away before you could land another hit. You snarled again, baring your bloodied teeth and letting out a rough huff of air, feeling your heart slam against your ribs repeatedly. The scent of his blood prevented you from smelling another person approach, but the crackling of leaves gave it away and you immediately spun around to face the new threat, your back hunched low and your knees bent in readiness to attack.

Another entered the area. He stank of death and the blood splattered across his shield insisted he was an enemy. You stared him down until he took a step away, closer to the other person.

A rush of air and a cold touch to your shoulder sent you reeling around, kicking out a leg that clanged painfully against the side of the strange metal man. You held back a yelp of agony as shocks rippled up to your hip, and instead of trying another hit you stumbled away, feeling better about your chances with the other ones who didn't hurt you.

It was too late to run when you realised you'd been boxed in by someone with wings like an odd bird, but that didn't stop you from trying. You pushed against the ground and started off in a dangerous sprint towards the two men, only for your leg to collapse under your weight and send you tumbling to the ground, rolling painfully to a stop.

The man with the metal arm stared at down you with intense blue eyes, not making a move and staying silent. He slowly motioned to his blond companion, who stepped away in compliance. You felt a little more at ease with one less person, but that didn't mean you could trust this strange man: you'd learnt that humans were evil creatures.

Bucky lowered himself down to one knee in front of you, not daring to break eye contact now that he had your whole attention. His mouth opened, and he spoke in a voice that reminded you of a gentle, purring rumble; he sounded nothing like the people who had kept you trapped in that big cage, who all had scary masks and mumbled inaudibly until you did something wrong and their tone snapped like a whip against your sensitive ears.

Your nerves may have been slightly soothed by his soft mannerisms, but he still murdered your entire family while you did nothing but _listen_ just because you'd been told to do so. A hand reached out towards you, moving carefully and with purpose, and you snapped your teeth at him, curling a lip and inching as far back as you dared with your useless leg still burning.

“Barnes, you and Sam return to the Quinjet. Take our new wolf-friend. There's a concealed entrance under this rock and FRIDAY can't scan through the walls for other people, so me and Cap will check it out.” Tony stared down at you for a moment more before turning and pressing his hands against the small boulder, shoving it to the side to reveal a trapdoor and a drop into darkness.

Bucky briefly glanced at Sam, who was grimacing with one hand over his gut and blood spilling over his fingers. He looked back to where you were sprawled on the ground, skin coated with dust and grime, and clothes ripped and mismatched.

“Go back to the Quinjet and fix yourself up,” he ordered his friend, “I won't carry you if you pass out.”

The man huffed in amusement, shaking his head and extending his arms to fit against his wings as they unfolded. “Thanks, I think...”

He lifted up and flew off in a rush of warm air, leaving just Bucky and you. There was a long silence, punctuated only with your softening growls that grew weaker with every heavy breath. Your family were strong enough to overpower all the guards and scientists to let you escape, and yet these strange people had slaughtered them with barely any issue. If they were so powerful and ruthless, why hadn't they killed you yet?

The stranger was talking again. You watched his lips move, letting the unknown words wash over you and calm your racing heart. He squinted slightly, tilting his head and raising a large hand to brush some silky strands of his long hair behind his ear. His fingers curled up and he pointed towards his chest, mouth opening to say something you were determined to understand.

“Bucky,” he said lowly, blue gaze flittering across your features for some kind of recognition.

You watched him apprehensively, swiping your tongue across your lips as you tried to work out how to say that word that seemed so much nicer than any other ones you'd heard before. “Bu- Buck-y...”

His face lit up with a wide grin that you automatically flinched away from, baring your own teeth in response. Realisation dawned across his rough features and he let the happy look fade into something less intense and more friendly, with lips quirked up in such a way that his eyes crinkled affectionately. You let yourself relax again, still suspicious but understanding that he wasn't going to hurt you- at least, not any time soon.

He stood up slowly, offering his hands towards you, still with that same fond expression on his face that made your heart flutter in a way you didn't understand. “Come with me. Come with Bucky.”

“With Bucky,” you echoed, glancing around you.

It was your last chance to try and flee, but there was nothing left for you here. All your family were dead. The scientists had been killed. You couldn't survive on your own. You had no other options.

For a few moments, you fumbled for the right word, before tentatively placing your hands in his as you spoke.“Yes, with Bucky.”

His hands were firm as he helped you to your feet. You tensed when he slipped an arm around your waist, but it was gentle and comfortable, and you found that leaning against him made walking a bit easier, so you stayed by his side as he guided you through the forest.

*

“Holy sh-” The fridge door slammed closed again, following Tony's alarmed yell.

You barely spared a glance up at the startled man from where you sat on the kitchen floor before gazing back at where Bucky was settled, a few feet from you. He blinked in surprise, the tension flooding from his body as he realised the noise wasn't a threat, and shifted his position into a spread kneel to smirk smugly up at Tony, who was still clutching at the glowing arc reactor in his chest.

“Do you two have to keep doing this? Just sitting in complete silence in the middle of the night in random spots throughout the tower?!” He grumbled at you breathlessly, forcing himself to straighten up and reopen the fridge, casting a soft yellow glow over their surroundings. “One of these days I'm going to kill you by accident- _no_ , you know what? One of these days I'm going to kill you _on purpose_ for all the stress you've put my heart through.” He threateningly pointed a carton of milk down at the both of you. “No-one would even know who did it. You'd just go missing one night and never return, and I'd be able to sleep easy for once without worrying that one day I'll wake up to two creepers staring at me from the end of my bed like some kids in a horror movie. That's the dream.”

“Sorry.” You responded eventually, eyebrows raised and eyes glinting in the warm light.

Tony shook his head with a playful glare, closing the fridge door again. “No, you're not.”

Your lips quirked into a mischievous grin that you'd finally learnt the meaning of. “No.”

He stared at you evenly for a moment before sighing exasperatedly, taking a sip from his glass of milk and turning around with a dismissive hand gesture. “Get some sleep, both of you.”

The man left the room and Bucky returned his gaze to you. He crossed his legs again, placing his elbows on his knees and hunching over to cup his face in his hands. You mimicked his pose lithely, searching his face for any signs of exhaustion. His chestnut hair was blackened by shadows that also carved out his face, accentuating his cheekbones and sharp jawline that was softened only by his scuffy beard. Although his denim-blue eyes were half-closed, the smile playing on his features implied that he was merely relaxed and content rather than tired.

These night-time silences were your favourite. Spending time with Bucky without any interruptions or unnecessary conversations was the best thing in your life, and you were overjoyed that Tony had allowed you to stay at the tower for a bit instead of sending you elsewhere for someone else to deal with. It was obvious to everyone that you had a preference for Bucky, and Steve had argued valiantly to keep the two of you together when the issue first arose.

They had also bickered over what to call you, since you didn't seem to know your own name, or even if you had one in the first place. You didn't really have a preference initially as you didn't understand the purpose of a name when you could get someone's attention in other ways. Sam was quite insistent to name you after himself, but that idea was shot down immediately by everyone else. Tony was content to call you Pup as a nickname, regardless of the eventual choice, and left shortly after his statement with a dismissive wave, saying that he had other business to attend to- something to do with spiders, you recall him mentioning. When Bucky finally put forward the suggestion of (Y/N), you nodded enthusiastically, loving the way it sounded when he said it.

You liked to go to the gym with the brunet, too. At first, you'd just watch in fascination, almost hypnotised by the flowing movement of his muscles as he punched and kicked, somehow making the aggressive movements look graceful, like a dance. After a few weeks, he'd suggested that you joined him, and he started to teach you how to fight. It was a little scary to start with, however his encouraging smile was enough to keep you going back to him, leaning how to use all the strange objects and machines until you were almost as athletic as the super-soldier.

His praise would always make your cheeks warm and your heart flutter excitedly, not that he ever noticed.

A yawn caught you by surprise, causing you to scrunch up your nose and squint your eyes shut, a sudden wave of drowsiness rippling over your body. Bucky laughed, a low, gentle sound that was somehow rough and soft at the same time: you adored it.

“Yeah, let's get you to bed. Come on.”

*

“And what do you think of me, (Y/N)?” Sam called over to you, taking your attention away from the remote-controlled car that was whizzing around the room, controlled by a very entertained Bucky.

You paused, reaching out to try and hit the tiny vehicle as it shot by your side, only for it to spin around and zoom off again. “Sam sucks.”

Your response caused Bucky to lose it, howling with laughter and abandoning the remote controller on the sofa. Steve snorted but tried to cover it with a cough, only to look at his old friend crying with mirth and find himself unable to stop the chuckles.

“Oh, very funny.” Sam rolled his dark eyes, shooting a glare at the cackling brunet. “I bet Barnes taught you that one, huh?”

“Bucky,” you corrected with a grin, feeling proud that you'd caused that wonderful smile on the super-soldier's face.

“Oh, okay, alright: I can see where your loyalties lie. That's not fair, _Bucky_.” Sam stood up, pointing assertively to the giggling duo. “I'm going to find someone to insult you for me. See how you like it...”

He stormed off, muttering to himself angrily, and the sight only made Bucky laugh harder until he was breathless and wheezing. Steve had his head tilted back, one hand clutching at the left side of his chest as his whole body shook with hearty chuckles.

Your attention returned to the doorway as Tony strode in, taking off his sunglasses with one hand and motioning over his shoulder where Sam had just rushed past him.

“Good job, Pup,” he said affectionately, “I've never seen the man so frustrated, not even when Barnes annoys him.”

Tony hooked the shades onto the neckline of his shirt, surveying the room briefly. Steve calmed himself down when he recognised the serious look, nudging Bucky to do the same. The brunet gently shoved back at his friend, but glanced up at the billionaire nonetheless.

“We've been called to check something out across the state,” Tony informed them, walking over to pick up the remote controller to drive the tiny car around, observing with distaste. “This is so poorly-made... It doesn't even hover. What's the point in a toy that isn't even _fun?_ ” He shook his head, throwing the disappointing gadget back onto the cushions and regaining his focus. “Anyway, Pup, we've all seen what you're capable of, and since this is a small mission, we can take you with us to see how it goes.”

Your face lit up with excitement.

“If this goes well, I might think about taking you on more, so be on your best behaviour, okay?” He added in a warning tone. “Oh, and I made you a little something...”

A drone zoomed in, carrying something beneath it. You grabbed the clothes off the hook, settling back onto the floor to spread it out and get a better look. It was skin-tight and coal-black with thick, faux-fur over the shoulders like a scarf. The sight made a twinge of painful melancholy spark in your gut at the memory of your wolf-family, but you pushed it down, instead focusing on running your fingers across the fabric that was soft under your touch.

“I took some inspiration from T'Challa.” Tony stepped over and pressed down on the fingers of your suit, causing sharp claws to snap out of the fingertips. “And added some flair of my own. FRIDAY, kill the lights.”

The room plunged into darkness. After a few seconds, you watched in awe as the fur began to glow a deep amber, like the colour of a wolf's eye. A symbol shone into view, emblazoned across the chest, of a wolf baring its teeth in a warning snarl. The claws were illuminated as well, pulsing a dangerous orange.

“That's amazing,” Bucky breathed, moving to kneel next to you, close enough that your shoulders brushed.

You weren't totally used to such close proximity with humans yet, but something about the dim, warm setting allowed you to lightly lean against him, still staring in wonder at the suit- _your_ suit. It was clearer to you now more than ever, as you sat in the sunset-hued glow with these incredible people that had taken you in, that not _all_ humans were awful, and you knew you had a lot more to learn about this peculiar world you'd been isolated from your entire life.

“What do you think, Pup?” Tony quirked an eyebrow, grinning widely at your unbridled fascination. “Ready for your first mission?”

 


End file.
